Not that long ago, or may be long
long ago, there was a duckling, small and yellow. Her friends made fun of her
because she was uglier than them - how come they were friends if they thought
this? But anyways it is a story and we do not question trivial details like
these. So yes, they made fun of her and called her ugly duckling. As days went
by, she got tired of her friends and decided to run away. She walked and walked
and swam and walked again. Soon she was on a new land. By the brook she stood
and looked, the reflection in the water was nothing like her. She saw she was changed,
yet the ugliness remained. She frowned and walked away. In the new land were new
fowls. They just looked, which could have even been classified into a stare,
but they looked at her. She wondered what it could be, had she grown uglier
with the passing time? Then came the old wise swan, he smiled at her and said, “Ask
my child, the question that you bear in your heart. I have answers to all your
questions.” The ugly duckling blinked her eyes in bewilderment and finally she
blurted it out, “Have I grown uglier than ever?” The wise swan laughed and took
her back to the brook. He made her reflect back to her image, first in the water
and then in her own eyes. “The duckling was ugly, but not the swan. Look at
yourself again you are the great white swan. Look and your eyes and look at your
lovely large wings. You are meant to be in a different pack.” He flapped his
wings and there she could see. A pack of white swans, they welcomed her with a
warm smile and took her into their big fat family. The wise swan stood by the
brink smiling to himself as he saw her swim by.
We think this is the end. What we
are never told is the real end. This was the beginning of her journey. The old
wise swan was very wise and kind. He knew that life was a hard winter and if
one is foolish enough to bare itself to the cold winds, than they would die
even before they could spell it. So every time he met a duckling, who thought
it was ugly, he would take them to the brook and tell them that they were
different from the world which mocks at them. They are swans and not ducklings.
They are much beautiful than they have ever imagined themselves to be. The
stream is full of those out castes who now think they are swans, beautiful
swans, and ready to take on the world. What he missed out was that though
initially they swam and floated with pride but soon they would be landing on to
a new land, which has a new brook and no old wise swan. When they called
themselves swan, they were mocked louder than before. They were shown the brook
and called ugly once again. With broken heart and pride some would move around
with a sullen face while others would harden themselves and give it back to the
world. They were miserable souls, neither could they enjoy their self nor could
they end their friction with the world around.
The ugly duckling who now is an angry
swan thought one day as she saw another tiny one being chased and teased away
as the ugly duckling. She thought about her journey and the summers and
winters, the autumns and springs that she had seen, witnessed, cribbed and
enjoyed. She thought about the old wise swan and chuckled. She walked towards
the young one and told him, “Yes you are ugly. When I was your age, even I was
called ugly. I ran away and came to a new land and thought that I had changed.
Changed into someone beautiful and have rightfully come back to my own people.
Soon we landed on a new shore and discovered the hard truth. We still were
ugly! We are no swans, and that breaks my heart more than being an ugly
duckling. Trust me, one day you will grow up and so will they. They won’t tell
you on your face, but as you turn around they would share a laugh amongst
themselves by calling you the same. Do not run away from your identity. Do not
shy away from who you are. You are an ugly duckling and accept it with the head
held high. Do not console yourself by donning a new identity as that won’t
change anything. Be who you are and be at peace with yourself as rest will fall
in place.” She walked away, smiling to herself. She knew that she had shown a
new road and it was only a matter of time before this one would be talking to
the new ugly duckling and would be suggesting a new way to swim across the
brook called life.
